Vincent Stiles was a serial killer/serial arsonist who appeared in Ashes and Dust.
History
Vincent worked as a pharmaceutical sales representant. About three weeks following his divorce, he joined the Earth Defense Front, an environmental activist groups mostly infamous for setting fire to the objects of their protests. Stiles didn't know the EDF's true motives and believed them to be an arsonists' club. Wanting to fit in, he killed the Jarvis family because Mr. Jarvis was an executive of a company responsible for keeping benzene, a highly flammable, cancer-inducing chemical, in leaking underground storage tanks (acronymed LUST), with some of them being placed near elementary schools. He wore a protective suit in order to be able to watch them burn. Three weeks later, Stiles killed the Cutler family because Mr. Cutler worked as a lawyer for another LUST-guilty company. At this point, the BAU were called in and made the connection between the fires and the victims, proven when Stiles killed Thomas R. Dunleivy (who also worked for a LUST-guilty company) and his two children. As a result of the murders, the terminally cancer-sick local EDF leader, Evan Abby, shut the chapter down. Stiles reacted very angrily to this and threw a Molotov cocktail at a businessman on his way home. When given the profile by Hotch, Evan identified Stiles as the UnSub. He then contacted Stiles himself, told him he was planning to start a benzene-fueled fire at a vacant lot, and that he needed his help. His vanity appealing to him, Stiles agreed to help with the intention of shooting Evan at the site. When the two met again, Evan had doused a basement floor with benzene, making it impossible for Stiles to fire his gun as the shot would cause the air to ignite and immediately kill them both. After he put the gun down, Evan brought out a lighter, having already called the fire department in order for them to contain the fire. Since he was dying anyway, Evan turned on the lighter, setting off the fire, and killing himself and Stiles (whose protective suit couldn't stand the temperature of the benzene fire).
Modus Operandi
Before attacking a family, Vincent would seal all exits, turn off the water, douse the interior with kerosene, and light it. He wore a protective suit with an oxygen tank in order to be able to watch his victims burn.
Profile
Vincent was profiled as being a highly intelligent, underacheiving 35-45 year old white male with a severe narcissistic character disorder. Nothing in his life works for long. If he was married, he's now divorced and he's not able to keep a job for long. He craves admiration, but he lacks respect or concern for people. He both resents and yet expects others to care for him. He most likely lives with some female relative whom he exploits as very few male relatives would tolerate his behavior. His arson suit is expensive, suggesting he is employed, but, given his personality, it's impossible for him to work closely with others in an office environment. This, combined with the info on his car, suggests that he is some sort of travelling salesman who works for a company that's too big to notice that he's a sociopath.
Known Victims
- The Jarvis family (Matthew, Sue and their two daughters)
- The Cutler family (Dennis, Charlotte and their son Paul)
- Thomas R. Dunleivy, his son Brad and daughter Katie (killed while they were in a car)
- Greg Bulew (was killed by a Molotov cocktail)
- Evan Abby (intended)